prohibit journalists from publishing a suspect's criminal record or evidence presented at bail hearings on the grounds that it could be inadmissible in court and might bias potential jurors. Many experts are questioning whether such an arrangement can survive the Internet age. Judges might still keep a tight rein on the domestic media.
But widespread availability of English language news from abroad, amateur video, photo sharing sites, and anonymous online content have undermined judges' control over what juries see or hear. Media now have access to images from many more sources, as was the case when an amateur photographer happened to capture images of Kafeel Ahmed, the suspected driver of the Jeep that crashed into Glasgow Airport on June 30. The British newspapers and television stations that ran the pictures did not immediately respond to calls for comment.
But Bob Satchwell, the director of the Society of Editors said publishing the photo of a fire-scarred Ahmed struggling against police officers was perfectly fair. "If someone is seen being manhandled by police at the scene of a crime, the idea that identification is an issue, someone's got to raise an eyebrow at that," Satchwell said. In the meantime, the domestic media itself has become bolder in challenging reporting restrictions even as enforcement has flagged.
Satchwell said the last time he could remember the restrictions becoming a major issue was in 2001 when the editor of The Sunday Mirror resigned after an article in his paper led to the collapse of an assault trial. and Times Newspapers Ltd. in successfully challenging a court ruling that threatened to prevent news media from reporting the details of al-Qaida operative Dhiren Barot's sentencing.
The judge had argued that publishing the information would prejudice a related case. Satchwell said that the British laws, codified in 1981, need to be updated for the age of the Internet and cable news. "The law is still showing some 19th century attitudes in the 21st Century," Satchwell said.
"We've now got a 24-hour global media to try and hold the line on contempt with the old rules is asking someone to put a genie back into a lamp." prohibit journalists from publishing a suspect's criminal record or evidence presented at bail hearings on the grounds that it could be inadmissible in court and might bias potential jurors.
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